As well as the hard work it takes to save for a deposit to buy the home of your dreams, it can
be a full-time job to think of the ways in which your investment can remain stable or even
increase in value.
One of the most common ways to try to add value to a property comes from adding,
renovating, or improving the garden, or buying a property based on how impressive an
existing garden could be with a little hard work – but how much does a garden actually add to
property value and is it worth the both the initial and ongoing expensive to maintain it to a
high level?
How Much Does A Garden Add To Property Value?
By having a look at some rough estimates and browsing a really handy study
by The Post Office Money, it’s clear to see that there can be a considerable value placed on
spending the time and money to landscape an existing garden; with an estimated property
value increase of up to 77% for a beautifully renovated and landscaped outside space, it
really is beneficial to make the most of all available space.
Garden Elements To Focus On
It can seem like a minefield when trying to decide exactly which parts of a garden to start
work on in order to bring it up to an impressive enough level to ensure that it manages to
increase the price of your property, but it needn’t be something which should cause
unnecessary stress.
Starting with the (sometimes boring) basics will always be the best way to begin; if you’re
opting for a complete remodelling of your garden, then putting pen to paper and sketching
out how you would envisage the space looking, would be really beneficial; Once you have
this rough sketch, it can either become the basis to start creating your list of things to do, or
it can be a great first draft to pass on to a professional landscape gardener if you choose to
use one.
Make sure that you’re aware of the larger elements that you’d like to change within your
garden, such as whether you’re wanting to add grass, decking, a raised or sunken area or a hot tub and spa area, as these will be the first things that you’ll need to plan and carry out,
before moving on to the finishing touches to create a perfect aesthetic.
Grass
Do you want to add a real or artificial lawn? When making this decision, it’s important to bear
in mind whether you’ll have time in your schedule to maintain a real lawn and this may be a
reason why an artificial lawn would best for you; however, if you’d a lover of nature and
using a real lawn as a method of grounding during meditation, we’d advise to stick to a real
lawn.
Raised/Sunken Areas
Having a raised or sunken area in a garden can make the property as a whole feel quite
unique, which in turn, can result in a higher property price; making a potential future buyer
feel like they’re purchasing something rare, is always going to be a positive thing, however,
it’s really important to be aware that having a raised or sunken area within your garden will
often entail serious excavation and work which would more than likely need to be carried out by professionals. Taking note of whether similar properties in your street have this feature
(and whether this increased property price) can be a good guide as to whether you should
proceed with your plans.
Decking
Adding decking to a garden can add a really lovely touch, as it is an ideal space to add
seating for an al fresco dining area; having a space set up like this is a great selling point for
a home, as it allows a future buyer to envision family meals and friendly get togethers
outdoors in the summer in a pre-made space. The only thing to bear in mind with decking is
that it does require some upkeep to ensure that it stays looking fresh and impressive
throughout the year, and so again, it’s worth bearing in mind whether you have the time and
patience to maintain the wood with appropriate oils and glosses even during the winter
months.
Garden Products For Maximum Impact
As soon as the main, larger elements of your garden have been added or renovated, it’s
time to complete the look with products that can stay within your outdoor space to add to an
impressive year-round finish; items such as water features, outdoor rugs, tables and fire pits are perfect for adding that little touch of elegance that would make an outdoor space stand out from the crowd.
Wood Fired Oven
The wood fired oven has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years and this
trend doesn’t look like it’s going to die down any time soon; adding this type of feature to an
outdoor dining area on decking further adds to that “lively outdoor” space that many people yearn for when purchasing their dream home, so it makes sense to have this feature already installed to justify an increase in property price.
Water Features
Having a water feature as a centrepiece in a garden is always impressive, and while we’d
encourage the use of something such as this to provide that “wow factor”, it’s again worth
taking a sensible view on whether you would have the time to maintain this even during the
murkiest of winter months, as there is a fair amount of upkeep to ensure that a water feature runs smoothly and doesn’t degenerate during the changing seasons.
Tables, Rugs and Finishings
Who doesn’t love an impressive dining table? Investing in something which would be the
focal point of an outdoor eating area is another great way of selling that dreamy “outdoor
party” lifestyle; adding touches such as beautifully styled outdoor rugs, hurricane candles,
outdoor mirrors and gorgeous waterproof fabrics can also be the ideal way to present the
outdoor space as a complete and finished package.
Garden Inspiration At RHS Chelsea Flower Show
After the hard labour of physically creating a space has been completed, it can sometimes
be tricky to see how to add the finishing touches to a space, and so it’s really important to try and draw inspiration from people and businesses who are experts in creating a desirable
outdoor space. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a great source of inspiration when it comes to
using plants and outdoor features, such as garden buildings and water features to transport
potential buyers away from their normal lives and allow them to feel as though they have a tranquil idyll of their own, away from the hubbub of everyday life.
Taking a look back at previous Chelsea Flower shows can also be handy, as it will allow you
to make choices for your garden which will stand the test of time.
Outdoor Buildings
The use of outdoor garden rooms for a variety of different activities has popular at RHS
Chelsea for a good number of years; from housing hot tubs, being used as an intimate party
room, or being utilised as a luxury planting room, outdoor garden buildings are really
standing the test of time both during the show, and for home owners all year round.
Striking Colours
Whilst RHS Chelsea is often viewed as being fairly traditional, there has been an influx of
impressive designers and gardeners over the past few years, who have been able to use pops of vibrant colours to inject a more modern spin into garden design; whilst RHS Chelsea
designers are only authorised to use fresh or dried flowers to create their masterpieces,
there’s nothing stopping you from purchasing some high-end faux flowers to create an
outstanding, colourful aesthetic all year round.
Planning Is Everything
As you’ll see from many of the artist sketches available from RHS Chelsea, it’s so important
for the designers to have a clear idea about their vision and how they’ll go about
implementing this; as stated earlier, it’s vital that you also visualise and map out the changes
that you want to make to your outdoor space, so that there’s less room for error and if some
of the best garden designers in the world at RHS Chelsea know the importance of planning,
then we’d say it’s a pretty big deal!
